Kwara United Football Club Scouting Officer, Yinka Ojokojo Adekanye has expressed optimism that Super Eagles can go all the way in the ongoing 2023 AFCON, adding that the players are dedicated towards achieving the impossible.
Super Eagles will square up against the Indomitable Lions of Cameroon in the Round of 16 on Saturday January 27, 2024, at the Stade Felix Houphouet, Abidjan, starting from 9.00pm.
The team had a relatively unecouraging display in the group matches, playing out a one-all draw with Equatorial Guinea, defeated host Cote d’Ivoire by a lone goal and Guinea Bissau by same goal margin to finish second in Group A behind Equatorial Guinea.
Despite the qualification, Nigerians seems not too impressed with the overall display, as well as lack of goal scoring attitude of the team, casting doubt on the team going through the knock-out stages successfully.
But for Ojokojo, he believes Super Eagles has the potential to go all the way, and also win its fourth AFCON title in Cote d’Ivoire.
“Football is not like that. Nigerians are seeing the Eagles as a not-too-serious bunch of players, but its not so. Its not as if tthey are bad. Mind you, they are players that are proving themselves in different competitive leagues in Europe and other places.
“Football is not that easy, and again, this is African football. All the so called minnows have improved, as you can see from the ongoing AFCON. Countries like Ghana and Algeria have been knocked out, while some, like the host, Cote d’Ivoire have to rely on other results to qualify as best third placed team.
“One great feature about Super Eagles is, they improve with every game, and the quality of their opponents most times determine the type of game they play. And this is knock-out stage. Its a different ball game entirely.
Nigeria has so far won the title three times, in 1980, 1994 and 2013, and are poised to win it for the fourth time in Cote d’Ivoire.
